Process and tool for making leather buttons



June 26, 1923.

PROCESS AND TOOL FOR MAKING M. D. HEYMAN LEATHER BUTTONS Filed July 11, 1922 certain preferred appearance of the body Patented June 26, 1923.

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MOSES D. HEYlVl'AN, or ozone PAR-K, new roan, A$QIGNOR 'r'o FELIX Hem,

YORK, n. Y.

rnocnss AND TOOL For. MAKING LEAT ER surrons. 1

Application filed July 11, 1922.

To aZZ whom it may concern? Be it known that I, Moses D. Herman, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Ozone P ark, county of Queens, and

State of New York have invented certain new and useful Improvements and Tools for Making Leather Buttons, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved process and apparatus for use in making novelty buttons from strip material, with special reference to leather as used for orient to handle.

One ofthe objects is t o define a peculiar manner in which the strip material is interlockingly coiled and knotted to produce a and an integral eye, the

a definite parent.

Another purpose is to ,ratus by which the button cured in its initial stage sults invariably attained the most button. In 'the past this final plished with the hands, 11 painful, butwith the aid diflicult step in the Same constituting process as will later become approvide an appaa formation is seand duplicate re- ,thus overcoming weaving of the step was accom ecessarily slow and of this snnpie apparatus a workerslhands are protected from bruises, cuts ,and calirand the output of buttons is increased.

These and other the novel process hereafter described panying drawing, of this disclosure,

or thong of leather from formed.

Figure 2 1s a similar likeobjects are secured by and mechanical device and shown in the accomforming a material part and in which I I Figure 1 is a perspective view of strip which a button is View of the same showing the stage in which the leather thong has been woven the apparatus.

Figure 3 illustrates fragmentary form.

Figure 41- is a view sho tained on the tool or jig; pleted button except for Figure 5 is a perspec fore application to his application in wing the result atthis being the comthe final form.

tive view showing in Processes Serial No. 574,238.

View of the apparatus as ap- Figure 9 is a side elevational view shown in an open position.

In the construction of the button about to be disclosed, a single thong or narrow strip of thin flexible leather, shown in Fig. l, is the only article used, the strip varying in dimensions with respect to the size of the button and colored or left in its natural state as preferred.

The finished button illustrated in Fig. 5. shows a round body h avin an arched outer plan view of the tool in a l surface, a substantially fiat base and an in v tegral eye extending centrally therefrom.

The iace has the appearance of four distinct segments radiating from the center and has a polished surface produced by the dies in which it is final stage.

The strip is first pliable and then is soaked in water until woven by hand to. the

form shown in Figure 2,'which provides a" double knot having a looped opening 16 thru which the loop'l'? must be drawnto complete the weaving of the button. 1

lvlounted on a table 20 are a pluralityof tools or jigs arranged along one or both sides and enough space is allowed between them for the convenience and comfort of the operators.

' The loop 17 of the partly formed button shown in F ig 2 placed upon a rigid up standing member 21, provided with relatively small upright lugs 22, which form a seat between them for arranged on opposite sides thereto.

heavily compressed in its the loop 17. The" closely interwoven portion 18, which even ClOWVIll/VELICl OVEI' the bell-crank levers having av fportion, as the angle 3r,

, terized by The upper ends of the bell-cranks are semi-cupshaped, as at 30, and are so ar ranged that the lowermost position of the treadle brings their open faces 31 in juxtaposition, thus forming a cup completely surrounding the upright member 21, which 1s= centrally located and rigid therebetween.

The knot of leather being positioned on the member 21 is thus compressed and compactly formed as illustrated at Fig. 7, the l00p 17 projecting therefrom.

WVhen pressure on the treadle 24 is relieved the springs 32, fastened to lugs 33- on the cup members 30 at one end, and to any stationary at the other, will return' the parts to an open position allowing the removal of the button blank.

The button is then placed in dies under very high pressure and the resultant finished product is the commercial article as shown in Fig. 5. The loop or eye 17 is used in attaching the button to the garment and the body 18 presents a highly polished and decorative appearance for sport clothes and similar wearing apparel. 1

The foregoing disclosure is tobe regarded as descriptive and illustrative only, and not as restrictive or limitative of the invention, of which obviouslyan embodiment may be constructed including many modifications Without departing from the general scope herein indicated and denoted in the appended claims.

Having I claim as new and desire ters Patent, is 1 a 1. A method of making a leather button with a loop shank, comprising the interthus described my invention, what to secure Letweaving of astrip upon itself, bringing amarginal loop of the weave oppos te an intermediate mesh of the weave, and pressing a rigid outstanding the loop upon the end of member to force it through said meshand contractthe'weave around the stem of the oop. j p 2.,- The method covered by claim 1, comrising compressing the woven body externallywhile the loop is held projected by said oustanding member. 1

The process covered by claim 2 characa further final compression under high pressure of'the Woven body between forming dies.

t. A button forming apparatus comprising a central rigid projectirrgmember, forming cups pivotally arranged on a fixed common center, at the base of said member, said cups having complementary faces,- means causing the normal separation of said faces, and means for placing said faces in juxtaposition. I

An apparatus for forming integral leather buttons comprising a rigid projecting forming element, semi-cupshaped mem bers having a common pivot at the baseof said element and open at their adjacent sides,

an integral arm arranged substantially at right angles to each of'said cupshaped members, springs for keeping apart the open faces of said cupshaped members, and means for closing said members against the pressure of said'springs to surround said forming element,

6. A button forming apparatus, comprising two bell crank levers pivotally' arranged on a common axis, each having a power arm at one end and a semi-cupshaped,member at the other, spring means for holding said cupshaped members apart, treadle means for overcoming said spring means, and a fixed centrally supported rigid projecting element, arranged to have its baseentire'ly encircled by the mentioned cupshaped elements when their complementary faces are juxtapositionally placed. v

7. The process of making a button from a single leather strap consisting of knotting the strap. after moistening, to present a loop inserting the bight of the loop through a portion ofthe knot to form an eye, subjecting the knot to moderate pressure between dies thereby roughly formingthe button including the eye, and finally finish forming the button in dies under pressure approxr' mating five tons. v j

8. The process of making aleather button from a single strap consisting of moistening the material until flexlbilitylsattained,

forming a double knot ih the strap, including acentral loop Which will constitute an extending eye, and subjecting the blank thus formed to a relativelyheavy pressure be- Moses 1). HEYMAN. 

